SMiRT 26 Conference
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Chairman’s Message:
Energy production and consumption account for about two-thirds of today’s greenhouse gas emissions with the global energy mix still based on fossil fuels. Nuclear power presents an excellent technology to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel-powered energy sources without compromising access to reliable and sustainable energy supplies. In advanced economies, it provides a good share of the electricity supply and is the largest low-carbon source of electricity. Nuclear will undoubtedly form an essential part of the world’s future energy mix and its clean energy transition.
Over the course of the last years, many developments have taken place throughout the nuclear industry and the nuclear community. Some countries have enlarged their nuclear share in power production, Japan is restarting its nuclear fleet, and other countries are joining the nuclear community by starting nuclear New Build programs or by implementing nuclear programs from scratch. On the other hand, there are countries that continue their skeptical view on nuclear energy. We do see nuclear plants being shut down due to political, social, economic reasons or because they reach their end of lifetime. Thus, decommissioning of retired plants and waste management is becoming more and more a subject of interest in many countries. Nevertheless, common to everyone always was and permanently is the necessity for safety in all doings and the knowledge transfer from the “Greybeards” to “Newcomers” in the nuclear business. To share the worldwide lessons learned and provide a platform for the exchange on new developments in the enhancement of safety, the nuclear community has for a long time organized international conferences all around the world.
In 1971, Thomas Jaeger organized the first conference on “Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology” (SMiRT) in Berlin. With that, he initiated a biannual series of conferences, which alternately convene in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Today SMiRT is the premium conference series bringing together nuclear industry and academic researchers to mark the advances in understanding and development of engineering solutions for the entire nuclear cycle – from material science, plant design and construction issues, through safe operation, reliability, risk, margins and life extension, to decommissioning and waste disposal.
In the light of all this, we have developed the technical program for SMiRT 26 supplemented by special sessions, workshops and tutorials with a strong participation of international experts. Furthermore, in the tradition of SMiRT we will present the Dr. Robert Kennedy Award, the Heki Shibata Early Career Award as well as a Best Poster Award.
Coming back to Berlin/Potsdam for the anniversary conference, SMiRT 26 is set to mark the beginning of the next 50 years under the conference motto “Building the future on 50 Years of experience – It’s SMiRT to embrace change”. SMiRT 26 will bring leaders, managers and engineers from around the world together to drive innovation for safe, reliable and efficient nuclear energy in the face of global energy transition.
Jörg Aign
Chairman SMiRT 26
TÜV NORD EnSys GmbH & Co. KG
Managing Director
Executive Vice President Clean Energy Systems